Monday, March 2, 2009

Ugly Sandals

Last summer, I spent weeks hunting for a new pair of sandals. The old ones were so worn that it became a dire necessity. In case you haven't guessed by now, shoe shopping is rather stressful for me.

Mom and I hit all the major department stores and shoe stores in our area. We came up empty. At that point, I couldn't try on another pair of sandals even if I found one. My feet threatened to go on strike if I didn't go home and rest.

Finally, we stumbled upon a pair of sandals that might fill the bill. They were the right size and color, but there was one problem. They were UGLY! Desperation won out, and I bought them.

Well, after a couple of weeks, a strange thing happened. I fell in love with those sandals. My feet danced through the day as if they were encased in fluffy clouds. Every time I slipped into my Ugly Sandals, they took on a beauty I hadn't initially seen.

Books are sometimes like those Ugly Sandals. Maybe the setting, story line, or characters are not to your liking in the first chapter or two. Then something magical occurs. You find the heroine is not as shallow as you originally thought. The story takes a sharp turn that takes your breath away. By the end, you're raving about this book to all your friends and buying everything the author has ever written.

Practice patience, and give that book more than a page to capture your interest. Your ugly book may become your all-time favorite.

10 comments:

Terri Tiffany said...

I loved the connection in this post. I think that sometimes happens when we are writing our own stories. I hate it at first and little by little, it improves and we like what we've done.
Thank you for your post about detours. I hope yours leads to a great place too!

Annie said...

One must always read past chapter three before deciding to dump a book. Sometimes, it's chapter five. Sometiems and I'm sorry to confess this, you have to read the last page of the book in order to see where it goes!

One pair of ugly shoes in a lifetime is well worth the comfort :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Annie -

I just find it hard to judge a book by the first few pages or even several chapters. It has to be extremely bad for me to dump it early.

I agree about the sandals. They're still in good condition. I'll be wearing them this year. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Terri -

Thanks for your comments. I think it's unfair not to give a book a chance.

Have a blessed day!

Susan :)

Jessica Nelson said...

What a great comparison! I know exactly what you mean too.

Jaime Wright said...

I'm glad you posted this. Right now I'm not entirely attached to my main character but I see where she's going to end up and I feel I need to keep her somewhat annoying personality in the beginning chapters. HOPE! :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jaime -

Welcome to my blog. I post here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

I'm glad today's post encouraged you. It might be helpful to give the reader some hope in the backcover copy.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jess -

Hope your birthday weekend was awesome!

It's amazing how the crazy, everyday events of life can spark your creativity. Such a thought struck me last night - at 1:30 A.M. LOL! I guess we get too busy and miss the good stuff during the day.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Kevin said...

Susan: I loved this post! Thank you for a beautiful comparison, and your constant encouragement to those of us who follow your blog.

Your gift is definitely 'cheerleading' the saints!

Blessings on your day, your writing and your life,
Jeanette

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jeanette -

I'm enjoying YOUR blog as well. :) It's amazing what we can learn from the simple happenings in our lives.

BTW, I read your blog, but have not figured out how to work the comment section. Is there some way I can contact you - Facebook or email? Many times I want to write you a little note, but the technology frustrates me.

My email is susanjreinhardt at gmail dot com. I hope you'll drop me a line.

Blessings,
Susan :)

P.S. I have a contest going on this week. Check out my Monday, 3/16/09 post.